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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary school entrance exam past papers

4 replies

Ealingmama · 28/01/2019 19:48

I've got a daughter in year 5 and I'm beginning to think about preparing her for secondary school entrance tests next year –both grammar schools and private schools (in hope that she might qualify for a scholarship). I can't afford a tutor, so I'm planning to coach her myself. Can anyone recommend a good place to find past papers and practice papers online? Thanks!

OP posts:
PettsWoodParadise · 28/01/2019 21:50

Hi, try the elevenplusforum - we home tutored DD for entrance tests with positive results so it can be done. Sevenoaks school have past papers on their website, or did when DD sat the tests.

If you can’t afford a tutor then you will need more than a scholarship for an independent. Scholarship are often small amounts, instead you maybe looking at bursaries which are means tested rather than skill based, some schools do a combination of scholarship and bursary, do talk to bursar of the schools you are looking at to understand the likelihood of getting full fees waived.

Talksunderwater · 28/01/2019 23:14

Manchester Grammar (Independent school despite the name) has excellent past papers on its website (with answers). I wouldn’t recommend starting with these as they are difficult but they are great resources as you approach the exams. Good luck!

FlumePlume · 29/01/2019 08:34

I would start with Bond, CGP books at the right age for your dd, then work up to the ones for older ages. You need to make sure she has the basics, and teach her anything that school hasn’t (there will be chunks of the Y6 maths curriculum that she will need to know in the first term of Y6, for example, so you will need to teach those). If she isn’t currently reading widely and beyond her age, you will need to encourage her to do that, too.

Once you’ve covered the content, you can work on speed, accuracy and exam technique. Depending which schools you’re looking at, you may need VR, NVR and / or maths and english comprehension. The 11 plus forum is good for working that out, or the schools’ websites. If a computer-based VR/NVR is involved, there are some online test sites which you can use to simulate the test experience and get lots of practice. You can also sign up for mock exams, which are good both for the experience of being in a big hall with other kids, and because they will show you where your dd’s results are in the cohort (which you won’t know in a state primary).

It’s only once you’ve done all that, that the past papers come in handy. You don’t want to use them too soon, as each school usually only has a couple on their website. I would download the ones that are available now on the websites of the schools you’re interested in, as they may put up a different one by next year, so that way you’ll have more.

Instinctiveliving · 29/01/2019 12:24

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